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Schröder SK, Tag CG, Weiskirchen S, Weiskirchen R. Phalloidin Staining for F-Actin in Hepatic Stellate Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2669:55-66. [PMID: 37247054 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3207-9_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
During the development of liver fibrosis, hepatic stellate cells undergo a transition from a quiescent phenotype into a proliferative, fibrogenic, and contractile, α-smooth muscle actin-positive myofibroblast. These cells acquire properties that are strongly associated with the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Actin possesses a unique ability to polymerize into filamentous actin (F-actin) form its monomeric globular state (G-actin). F-actin can form robust actin bundles and cytoskeletal networks by interacting with a number of actin-binding proteins that provide important mechanical and structural support for a multitude of cellular processes including intracellular transport, cell motility, polarity, cell shape, gene regulation, and signal transduction. Therefore, stains with actin-specific antibodies and phalloidin conjugates for actin staining are widely used to visualize actin structures in myofibroblasts. Here we present an optimized protocol for F-actin staining for hepatic stellate cells using a fluorescent phalloidin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Schröder
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC), RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Carmen G Tag
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC), RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Sabine Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC), RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ralf Weiskirchen
- Institut für Molekulare Pathobiochemie, Experimentelle Gentherapie und Klinische Chemie (IFMPEGKC), Universitätsklinikum Aachen AöR, Aachen, Germany.
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2
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Meurer SK, Weiskirchen S, Tag CG, Weiskirchen R. Isolation, Purification, and Culture of Primary Murine Hepatic Stellate Cells: An Update. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2669:1-32. [PMID: 37247051 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3207-9_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
In the healthy liver, quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are found in the perisinusoidal space (i.e., the space of Dissé) in close proximity to endothelial cells and hepatocytes. HSCs represent 5-8% of the total number of liver cells and are characterized by numerous fat vacuoles that store vitamin A in the form of retinyl esters. Upon liver injury caused by different etiologies, HSCs become activated and acquire a myofibroblast (MFB) phenotype in a process called transdifferentiation. In contrast to quiescent HSC, MFB become highly proliferative and are characterized by an imbalance in extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis, by producing an excess of collagen and blocking its turnover by synthesis of protease inhibitors. This leads to a net accumulation of ECM during fibrosis. In addition to HSC, there are fibroblasts in the portal fields (pF), which also have the potency to acquire a myofibroblastic phenotype (pMF). The contributions of these two fibrogenic cell types (i.e., MFB and pMF) vary based on the etiology of liver damage (parenchymal vs. cholestatic). Based on their importance to hepatic fibrosis, the isolation and purification protocols of these primary cells are in great demand. Moreover, established cell lines may offer only limited information about the in vivo behavior of HSC/MFB and pF/pMF.Here we describe a method for high-purity isolation of HSC from mice. In the first step, the liver is digested with pronase and collagenase, and the cells are dissociated from the tissue. In the second step, HSCs are enriched by density gradient centrifugation of the crude cell suspension using a Nycodenz gradient. The resulting cell fraction can be further optionally purified by flow cytometric enrichment to generate ultrapure HSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen K Meurer
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC), RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Sabine Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC), RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Carmen G Tag
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC), RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ralf Weiskirchen
- IInstitut für Molekulare Pathobiochemie, Experimentelle Gentherapie und Klinische Chemie (IFMPEGKC), Universitätsklinikum Aachen AöR, Aachen, Germany
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Optimized Isolation and Characterization of C57BL/6 Mouse Hepatic Stellate Cells. Cells 2022; 11:cells11091379. [PMID: 35563686 PMCID: PMC9102395 DOI: 10.3390/cells11091379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
To obtain meaningful results of hepatic stellate cell (HSC) function, it is crucial to use highly pure HSC populations. Our aim was to optimize HSC isolation from mice livers without exploiting the characteristically transient vitamin A autofluorescence of HSC. HSCs were isolated from C57BL/6 mice using a two-step collagenase digestion and Nycodenz gradient separation followed by CD11b-negative sorting step in order to remove contaminating macrophages and dendritic cells. Isolated cells were analyzed for yield, viability, purity, and potential new markers using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. We obtained a yield of 350,595 ± 100,773 HSC per mouse liver and a viability of isolated cells of 92.4 ± 3.1%. We observed a low macrophage/dendritic cell contamination of 1.22 ± 0.54%. Using flow cytometry, we demonstrated that CD38 was expressed at the surface of HSC subpopulations and that all expressed intracellular markers specific for HSC in the liver. This isolation method, avoiding fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS), allowed isolation of HSCs with high purity. Further, flow cytometry analysis suggests that CD38 may be a reliable marker of HSCs and may include subpopulations of HSCs without retinoid droplets.
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Zhou Y, Adewale F, Kim S, Su Q, Glass D, Sleeman MW, Murphy AJ, Cheng X. Five-in-One: Simultaneous isolation of multiple major liver cell types from livers of normal and NASH mice. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:9878-9883. [PMID: 34558178 PMCID: PMC8505823 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
NASH is a chronic liver disease that affects 3%-6% of individuals and requires urgent therapeutic developments. Isolating the key cell types in the liver is a necessary step towards understanding their function and roles in disease pathogenesis. However, traditional isolation methods through gradient centrifugation can only collect one or a few cell types simultaneously and pose technical difficulties when applied to NASH livers. Taking advantage of identified cell surface markers from liver single-cell RNAseq, here we established the combination of gradient centrifugation and antibody-based cell sorting techniques to isolate five key liver cell types (hepatocytes, endothelial cells, stellate cells, macrophages and other immune cells) from a single mouse liver. This method yielded high purity of each cell type from healthy and NASH livers. Our five-in-one protocol simultaneously isolates key liver cell types with high purity under normal and NASH conditions, enabling for systematic and accurate exploratory experiments such as RNA sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Zhou
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.TarrytownNYUSA
| | | | - Sun Kim
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.TarrytownNYUSA
| | - Qi Su
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.TarrytownNYUSA
| | - David Glass
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.TarrytownNYUSA
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5
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Optimization of the isolation procedure and culturing conditions for hepatic stellate cells obtained from mouse. Biosci Rep 2021; 41:227415. [PMID: 33350435 PMCID: PMC7823195 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20202514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis (LF) mortality rate is approximately 2 million per year. Irrespective of the etiology of LF, a key element in its development is the transition of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) from a quiescent phenotype to a myofibroblast-like cell with the production of fibrotic proteins. It is necessary to define optimal isolation and culturing conditions for good HSCs yield and proper phenotype preservation for studying the activation of HSCs in vitro. In the present study, the optimal conditions of HSC isolation and culture were examined to maintain the HSC’s undifferentiated phenotype. HSCs were isolated from Balb/c mice liver using Nycodenz, 8, 9.6, and 11%. The efficiency of the isolation procedure was evaluated by cell counting and purity determination by flow cytometry. Quiescent HSCs were cultured in test media supplemented with different combinations of fetal bovine serum (FBS), glutamine (GLN), vitamin A (vitA), insulin, and glucose. The cells were assessed at days 3 and 7 of culture by evaluating the morphology, proliferation using cell counting kit-8, lipid storage using Oil Red O (ORO) staining, expression of a-smooth muscle actin, collagen I, and lecithin-retinol acyltransferase by qRT-PCR and immunocytochemistry (ICC). The results showed that Nycodenz, at 9.6%, yielded the best purity and quantity of HSCs. Maintenance of HSC undifferentiated phenotype was achieved optimizing culturing conditions (serum-free Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM) supplemented with glucose (100 mg/dl), GLN (0.5 mM), vitA (100 μM), and insulin (50 ng/ml)) with a certain degree of proliferation allowing their perpetuation in culture. In conclusion, we have defined optimal conditions for HSCs isolation and culture.
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Bartneck M, Koppe C, Fech V, Warzecha KT, Kohlhepp M, Huss S, Weiskirchen R, Trautwein C, Luedde T, Tacke F. Roles of CCR2 and CCR5 for Hepatic Macrophage Polarization in Mice With Liver Parenchymal Cell-Specific NEMO Deletion. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 11:327-347. [PMID: 32896623 PMCID: PMC7779787 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2020.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Macrophages are key regulators of inflammation and cancer promotion in the liver, and their recruitment and activation is linked to chemokine receptor signaling. However, the exact roles of the chemokine receptors CCR2 and CCR5 for macrophage functions in the liver is obscure. METHODS To study CCR2 and CCR5 in inflammatory liver injury, we used mice with a hepatocyte-specific knock-out of the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) essential modulator (NEMO), termed NEMOLPC-KO mice, and generated NEMOLPC-KOCcr2-/- and NEMOLPC-KOCcr5-/- mice. NEMOLPC-KO mice develop hepatitis and fibrosis after two and liver tumors after six months. RESULTS We found that both CCR2 and CCR5 deficiency led to reduced fibrosis, while CCR5 deficiency increased steatosis and tumor burden in NEMOLPC-KO mice. CCR2 was required for recruitment of hepatic macrophages, whereas CCR5 promoted stellate cell activation. The reduction of monocytes and macrophages by either anti-Gr1 antibody or clodronate-loaded liposomes (CLL), but not of CD8+ T cells or NK cells, significantly aggravated liver injury in NEMOLPC-KO mice and was further increased in NEMOLPC-KOCcr5-/- mice. CLL-induced liver injury was dampened by the adoptive transfer of ex vivo generated macrophages, whereas the adoptive transfer of control CD115+ immature monocytes or B cells did not reduce liver injury. CONCLUSIONS Although CCR2 and CCR5 principally promote liver fibrosis, they exert differential functions on hepatic macrophages during liver disease progression in NEMOLPC-KO mice. While CCR2 controls the recruitment of monocytes to injured livers, CCR5-dependent functions of liver macrophages limit hepatic injury, thereby reducing steatosis and hepatocarcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christiane Koppe
- Department of Medicine III, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Viktor Fech
- Department of Medicine III, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Marlene Kohlhepp
- Department of Medicine III, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany,Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Huss
- Gerhard Domagk Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ralf Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Tom Luedde
- Department of Medicine III, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany,Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Frank Tacke
- Department of Medicine III, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany,Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Reprint requests Address requests for reprints to: Frank Tacke, MD, PhD, Department of Hepatology & Gastroenterology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany. fax: +49-30-450-553902.
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Recent Advances in Practical Methods for Liver Cell Biology: A Short Overview. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21062027. [PMID: 32188134 PMCID: PMC7139397 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21062027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular and cellular research modalities for the study of liver pathologies have been tremendously improved over the recent decades. Advanced technologies offer novel opportunities to establish cell isolation techniques with excellent purity, paving the path for 2D and 3D microscopy and high-throughput assays (e.g., bulk or single-cell RNA sequencing). The use of stem cell and organoid research will help to decipher the pathophysiology of liver diseases and the interaction between various parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cells. Furthermore, sophisticated animal models of liver disease allow for the in vivo assessment of fibrogenesis, portal hypertension and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and for the preclinical testing of therapeutic strategies. The purpose of this review is to portray in detail novel in vitro and in vivo methods for the study of liver cell biology that had been presented at the workshop of the 8th meeting of the European Club for Liver Cell Biology (ECLCB-8) in October of 2018 in Bonn, Germany.
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Wang Y, Li C, Gu J, Chen C, Duanmu J, Miao J, Yao W, Tao J, Tu M, Xiong B, Zhao L, Liu Z. Celastrol exerts anti-inflammatory effect in liver fibrosis via activation of AMPK-SIRT3 signalling. J Cell Mol Med 2019; 24:941-953. [PMID: 31742890 PMCID: PMC6933398 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Celastrol, a pentacyclic tritepene extracted from Tripterygium Wilfordi plant, showing potent liver protection effects on several liver-related diseases. However, the anti-inflammatory potential of celastrol in liver fibrosis and the detailed mechanisms remain uncovered. This study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of celastrol in liver fibrosis and to further reveal mechanisms of celastrol-induced anti-inflammatory effects with a focus on AMPK-SIRT3 signalling. Celastrol showed potent ameliorative effects on liver fibrosis both in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and in fibrotic liver. Celastrol remarkably suppressed inflammation in vivo and inhibited the secretion of inflammatory factors in vitro. Interestingly, celastrol increased SIRT3 promoter activity and SIRT3 expression both in fibrotic liver and in activated HSCs. Furthermore, SIRT3 silencing evidently ameliorated the anti-inflammatory potential of celastrol. Besides, we found that celastrol could increase the AMPK phosphorylation. Further investigation showed that SIRT3 siRNA decreased SIRT3 expression but had no obvious effect on phosphorylation of AMPK. In addition, inhibition of AMPK by employing compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) or AMPK1α siRNA significantly suppressed SIRT3 expression, suggesting that AMPK was an up-stream protein of SIRT3 in liver fibrosis. We further found that depletion of AMPK significantly attenuated the inhibitory effect of celastrol on inflammation. Collectively, celastrol attenuated liver fibrosis mainly through inhibition of inflammation by activating AMPK-SIRT3 signalling, which makes celastrol be a potential candidate compound in treating or protecting against liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqin Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Chunling Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jingya Gu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Chang Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jiaxin Duanmu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jing Miao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Wenjuan Yao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jinhua Tao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Mengjue Tu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Biao Xiong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Lingling Zhao
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, China
| | - Zhaoguo Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
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Single Cell RNA Sequencing Identifies Subsets of Hepatic Stellate Cells and Myofibroblasts in Liver Fibrosis. Cells 2019; 8:cells8050503. [PMID: 31137713 PMCID: PMC6562512 DOI: 10.3390/cells8050503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and their trans-differentiation towards collagen-secreting myofibroblasts (MFB) promote liver fibrosis progression. During chronic liver disease, resting HSCs become activated by inflammatory and injury signals. However, HSCs/MFB not only produce collagen, but also secrete cytokines, participate in metabolism, and have biomechanical properties. We herein aimed to characterize the heterogeneity of these liver mesenchymal cells by single cell RNA sequencing. In vivo resting HSCs or activated MFB were isolated from C57BL6/J mice challenged by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intraperitoneally for 3 weeks to induce liver fibrosis and compared to in vitro cultivated MFB. While resting HSCs formed a homogenous population characterized by high platelet derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ) expression, in vivo and in vitro activated MFB split into heterogeneous populations, characterized by α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagens, or immunological markers. S100 calcium binding protein A6 (S100A6) was a universal marker of activated MFB on both the gene and protein expression level. Compared to the heterogeneity of in vivo MFB, MFB in vitro sequentially and only transiently expressed marker genes, such as chemokines, during culture activation. Taken together, our data demonstrate the heterogeneity of HSCs and MFB, indicating the existence of functionally relevant subsets in hepatic fibrosis.
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Uschner FE, Schueller F, Nikolova I, Klein S, Schierwagen R, Magdaleno F, Gröschl S, Loosen S, Ritz T, Roderburg C, Vucur M, Kristiansen G, Lammers T, Luedde T, Trebicka J. The multikinase inhibitor regorafenib decreases angiogenesis and improves portal hypertension. Oncotarget 2018; 9:36220-36237. [PMID: 30546838 PMCID: PMC6281422 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims Angiogenesis is critically involved in the development of liver fibrosis, portal hypertension (PHT) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Regorafenib is a novel second-line therapy for HCC, but might also be beneficial in fibrosis and PHT even in absence of HCC. This study investigated the effects of regorafenib in experimental models without HCC. Methods Fibrosis (in vivo and in vitro), inflammation, liver damage (aminotransferases), angiogenesis (matrigel implantation) and in vivo systemic and portal hemodynamics were assessed in different mouse and rat models (bile duct ligation, CCl4, partial portal vein ligation) after acute and chronic treatment with regorafenib. Results Long-term treatment with regorafenib improved portal hypertension most likely due to blunted angiogenesis, without affecting fibrosis progression or regression. Interestingly, acute administration of regorafenib also ameliorated portal hemodynamics. Although regorafenib treatment led to hepatotoxic side effects in long-term treated fibrotic animals, in partial portal vein ligated rats, no liver toxicity due to regorafenib was observed. Discussion Regorafenib might be especially suitable as therapy in patients with PHT and preserved liver function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Erhard Uschner
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Florian Schueller
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ivelina Nikolova
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sabine Klein
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Institute of Cellular Medicine, Fibrosis Research Group, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.,Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | | | - Stefanie Gröschl
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sven Loosen
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Thomas Ritz
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Michael Vucur
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Twan Lammers
- Department of Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, University of Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Tom Luedde
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jonel Trebicka
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Institute of Clinical Research, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,European Foundation for the Study of Chronic Liver Failure, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
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11
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Conditioned Medium from Human Amnion-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Regulates Activation of Primary Hepatic Stellate Cells. Stem Cells Int 2018; 2018:4898152. [PMID: 30402110 PMCID: PMC6196790 DOI: 10.1155/2018/4898152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), or multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells, are present in almost all organs and tissues, including the amnion. Human amnion-derived mesenchymal stem cell (hAMSC) transplantation has been reported to ameliorate liver fibrosis in animal models. However, the mechanism for the prevention of liver fibrosis is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects, and underlying mechanisms, of a conditioned medium obtained from hAMSC cultures (hAMSC-CM) on a primary culture of rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). We observed that in routine culture, hAMSC-CM in HSCs significantly inhibited the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), an activation marker of HSCs, and the production of collagen type 1 (COL1), a dominant component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the culture medium. In addition, hAMSC-CM upregulated the expression of ECM degradation-related genes, such as metalloproteinase- (Mmp-) 2, Mmp-9, Mmp-13, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase- (Timp-) 1; however, it did not affect the expression of collagen type 1α1 (Col1a1). These regulatory effects on HSCs were concentration-dependent. A cell proliferation assay indicated that hAMSC-CM significantly suppressed HSC proliferation and downregulated the expression of cyclin B (Ccnb), a proliferation-related gene. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) treatment further activated HSCs and hAMSC-CM significantly inhibited the upregulation of α-Sma and Col1a1 induced by TGF-β. These findings demonstrated that hAMSC-CM can modulate HSC function via secretory factors and provide a plausible explanation for the protective role of hAMSCs in liver fibrosis.
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Abstract
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are found in the perisinusoidal space of the liver (i.e., the space of Dissé). They represent 5-8% of the total number of liver cells. In normal liver, these cells have a quiescent phenotype and are characterized by numerous fat vacuoles that store vitamin A in a form of retinyl ester. In injured liver, these cells transdifferentiate into a myofibroblast phenotype, become highly proliferative and are responsible for excess collagen synthesis and deposition during fibrosis. Due to their exceptional pathophysiological relevance, several isolation and purification protocols of primary HSCs have been established that provide the basis for studying HSC biology in vitro. We here describe a method for high-purity isolation of HSCs from mice. This protocol includes the enzymatic digestion of the liver tissue by pronase and collagenase, cellular enrichment by centrifugation of the crude cell suspension through a Nycodenz density gradient, and a final (optional) flow cytometric enrichment that allows generating ultrapure HSC fractions.
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13
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Braet F, Taatjes DJ, Wisse E. Probing the unseen structure and function of liver cells through atomic force microscopy. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 73:13-30. [PMID: 28688930 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
With the arrival of atomic force microscopy (AFM) about thirty years ago, this new imaging tool opened up a new area for the exploration of biological samples, ranging from the tissue and cellular level down to the supramolecular scale. Commercial instruments of this new imaging technique began to appear in the five years following its discovery in 1986 by Binnig, Quate & Gerber. From that point onwards the AFM has attracted many liver biologists, and the number of publications describing structure-function relationships on the diverse set of liver cells has grown steadily ever since. It is therefore timely to reflect on the achievements of AFM in disclosing the cellular architecture of hepatocytes, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, Kupffer cells, stellate cells and liver-associated natural killer cells. In this thematic paper, we present new data and provide an in-depth overview of the current AFM literature on liver cell biology. We furthermore include a future outlook on how this scanning probe imaging tool and its latest developments can contribute to clarify various structural and functional aspects of cells in liver health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Braet
- School of Medical Sciences (Discipline of Anatomy and Histology)-The Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Australian Centre for Microscopy & Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre (Cellular Imaging Facility), The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Douglas J Taatjes
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA; Microscopy Imaging Center, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Eddie Wisse
- Maastricht Multimodal Molecular Imaging Institute, Division of Nanoscopy, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Maastricht, 6200, MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Interaction between autophagy and senescence is required for dihydroartemisinin to alleviate liver fibrosis. Cell Death Dis 2017; 8:e2886. [PMID: 28617435 PMCID: PMC5520911 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2017.255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Revised: 04/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Autophagy and cellular senescence are stress responses essential for homeostasis. Therefore, they may represent new pharmacologic targets for drug development to treat diseases. In this study, we sought to evaluate the effect of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on senescence of activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and to further elucidate the underlying mechanisms. We found that DHA treatment induced the accumulation of senescent activated HSCs in rat fibrotic liver, and promoted the expression of senescence markers p53, p16, p21 and Hmga1 in cell model. Importantly, our study identified the transcription factor GATA6 as an upstream molecule in the facilitation of DHA-induced HSC senescence. GATA6 accumulation promoted DHA-induced p53 and p16 upregulation, and contributed to HSC senescence. By contrast, siRNA-mediated knockdown of GATA6 dramatically abolished DHA-induced upregulation of p53 and p16, and in turn inhibited HSC senescence. Interestingly, DHA also appeared to increase autophagosome generation and autophagic flux in activated HSCs, which was underlying mechanism for DHA-induced GATA6 accumulation. Autophagy depletion impaired GATA6 accumulation, while autophagy induction showed a synergistic effect with DHA. Attractively, p62 was found to act as a negative regulator of GATA6 accumulation. Treatment of cultured HSCs with various autophagy inhibitors, led to an inhibition of DHA-induced p62 degradation, and in turn, prevented DHA-induced GATA6 accumulation and HSC senescence. Overall, these results provide novel implications to reveal the molecular mechanism of DHA-induced senescence, by which points to the possibility of using DHA based proautophagic drugs for the treatment of liver fibrosis.
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15
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Bartneck M. Immunomodulatory Nanomedicine. Macromol Biosci 2017; 17. [DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201700021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Bartneck
- Department of Medicine III; Medical Faculty; RWTH Aachen; Pauwelsstr. 30 52074 Aachen Germany
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16
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A method for high-throughput functional imaging of single cells within heterogeneous cell preparations. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39319. [PMID: 27982116 PMCID: PMC5159830 DOI: 10.1038/srep39319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional characterization of individual cells within heterogeneous tissue preparations is challenging. Here, we report the development of a versatile imaging method that assesses single cell responses of various endpoints in real time, while identifying the individual cell types. Endpoints that can be measured include (but are not limited to) ionic flux (calcium, sodium, potassium and hydrogen), metabolic responsiveness (NAD(P)H, mitochondrial membrane potential), and signal transduction (H2O2 and cAMP). Subsequent to fluorescent imaging, identification of cell types using immunohistochemistry allows for mapping of cell type to their respective functional real time responses. To validate the utility of this method, NAD(P)H responses to glucose of islet alpha versus beta cells generated from dispersed pancreatic islets, followed by the construction of frequency distributions characterizing the variability in the magnitude of each individual cell responses were compared. As expected, no overlap between the glucose response frequency distributions for beta cells versus alpha cells was observed, thereby establishing both the high degree of fidelity and low rate of both false-negatives and false-positives in this approach. This novel method has the ability not only to resolve single cell level functional differences between cell types, but also to characterize functional heterogeneity within a given cell type.
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17
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Zhang Z, Guo M, Zhao S, Shao J, Zheng S. ROS-JNK1/2-dependent activation of autophagy is required for the induction of anti-inflammatory effect of dihydroartemisinin in liver fibrosis. Free Radic Biol Med 2016; 101:272-283. [PMID: 27989749 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2016.10.498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence identifies autophagy as an inflammation-related defensive mechanism against diseases including liver fibrosis. Therefore, autophagy may represent a new pharmacologic target for drug development to treat liver fibrosis. In this study, we sought to investigate the effect of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on autophagy, and to further examine the molecular mechanisms of DHA-induced anti-inflammatory effects. We found that DHA appeared to play an essential role in controlling excessive inflammation. DHA suppressed inflammation in rat liver fibrosis model and inhibited the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Interestingly, DHA increased the autophagosome generation and autophagic flux in activated HSCs, which is underlying mechanism for the anti-inflammatory activity of DHA. Autophagy depletion impaired the induction of anti-inflammatory effect of DHA, while autophagy induction showed a synergistic effect with DHA. Importantly, our study also identified a crucial role for reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the facilitation of DHA-induced autophagy. Antioxidants, such as glutathione and N-acetyl cysteine, significantly abrogated ROS production, and in turn, prevented DHA-induced autophagosome generation and autophagic flux. Besides, we found that c-Jun N-terminal kinase1/2 (JNK1/2) was a downstream signaling molecule of ROS that mediated the induction of autophagy by DHA. Down-regulation of JNK1/2 activity, using selective JNK1/2 inhibitor (SP600125) or siJNK1/2, led to an inhibition of DHA-induced autophagy. Overall, these results provide novel implications to reveal the molecular mechanism of DHA-induced anti-inflammatory effects, by which points to the possibility of using DHA based proautophagic drugs for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zili Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Mei Guo
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Shifeng Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Jiangjuan Shao
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Shizhong Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, PR China.
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